Chemical Decontamination of a Sour Naphtha Tank

Results Achieved

Complete elimination of hydrogen sulfide levels

Over 98% reduction in outage time

No personnel exposure to hazardous materials

No additional disposal expense

Chemical profiles

Designed for instantaneous and permanent elimination of hydrogen sulfide present in refining and other process equipment. The most efficient abatement product on the market capable of removing 3 moles of sulfide to 1 mole of active chemical.

A petroleum refinery in Texas used our hydrogen sulfide abatement product FQE™ H2S to decontaminate a Sour Naphtha tank of high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide.

The initial H2S readings from the Sour Naphtha tank exceeded 40,000 ppm (4.0%). A 50% FQE H2S in water mixture was prepared and circulated in the tank. The tank bottom was circulated first to eliminate the hydrogen sulfide present in the residual naphtha.

Following the neutralizing of naphtha, the aqueous phase was atomized through the tank airspace successfully eliminating the airborne hydrogen sulfide. The tank was a fixed roof, 100’ diameter tank containing approximately 30,000 bbls of residual naphtha. The hydrogen sulfide elimination was completed in less than 2 hours with the H2S being reported at 0 ppm. The liquid was allowed to phase separate for 1 hour and the aqueous phase containing the sulfide reaction product decanted from the tank.

Typically, this process is conducted by the slow removal of vapor by thermal oxidation (internal combustion engine) over a 2 – 3 day period of time resulting in extra cost and lost time pending process completion.